Week of 12/15/14

Hello Families!
I can't believe December vacation is upon us so soon!  We've had a busy week!  We've continued to stretch our thinking with non-fiction, started geometry in math, and learned quite a bit about Mexico.

Important information you need to know:

• If your child will not be here Tuesday, please let me know.  
• Tuesday is a regular Tuesday release with a 12:30 dismissal.  
• We will be having a special day on Tuesday and will be enjoying movie theater style popcorn (from the 99 Restaurant).  If your child will not be able to eat it, please send them in with an extra, different special snack.  Shhh….it's a surprise for the students!
• We return from vacation on Monday, January 5.

3, 2, 1 things you need to know…

3 things we've learned about Mexico are: The Great Maya Reef is home to many fish and tropical plants, there are many volcanoes, and there many big cities.  The capital is Mexico City.  

2 things we learned about shapes are: Shapes can be the same shape but have different designs and the attribute blocks can be different sizes and thickness.  

1 thing I'd like to tell you is that I hope everyone has a wonderful December vacation!  Enjoy the time with your families, be safe, have fun, and take a few moments to enjoy the wonderful times the holidays bring you each year.

Thanks to the parents who came in today to help and for everyone for sending in supplies for today's project…here's a picture of the class with their snow globes!  They did a great job!

What did we learn this week?

Created with Padlet

Week of 12/8/14

Hi Families!
What crazy weather we're having!  Freezing one day and rainy the next!  We're trying to keep moving in here by doing the website GoNoodle where we can do zumba dances, yoga, and other movement breaks to keep our attentions focused and our bodies in check.  You can try it out at home too at
gonoodle.com.

Important information:

• We have a full week next week and then only 2 days the following week.  
• Happy holidays to those who start celebrating next week!  I love hearing all the stories the students have to share with us as they celebrate together with friends and family.
• On Friday, December 19th, we will be doing an activity in the classroom.  I sent an email earlier this week but we are looking for: a mason style jar from each student (please bring in your own).  
• If your child is leaving early before school ends on the 23rd for the winter break, please let me know as there are some things that need to go home.   Thanks!

3, 2, 1…things you should know.
3 things we've been doing in social studies is flying to Mexico and getting our passports stamped, learning where Mexico is on a map, and learning about Luis' life in Mexico and where he lives.

2 skills we started working on in writing workshop are choosing a topic that we know a lot about to write our informational books and writing a table of contents of ideas that we could share with others.

1 thing I am very proud of them for is the reading responses this week!  I can see the students are really thinking about their nonfiction reading!

Don't forget to check out our page on what we learned this week…

Created with Padlet

Week ending 11/21/14

What a busy week it's been!  We've been finishing up our writing workshop stories, focusing on different addition strategies, learning about science unit on ramps, completing a non-fiction feature book to share what we've learned, and we started our poetry notebooks!

Important information:

• Don't forget to check out our "What did we learn this week?" after school ends today!  Each week students will write on their own what they learned in school this week.  This is a great idea to hear what's going on in the classroom and start conversations!  It's at the bottom of this blog! (It may not show up if you received an email, so go directly to the blog! Thanks!)
• I'm still trying to determine how to connect previous Xtramath programs used last year with the students' current accounts.  When I know…I'll let you know!  For now, your child can just continue with what they already have or start a new one…either is fine.
• Wednesday, the 26th is an early dismissal at 12:00 (not 12:30 as other dismissal days).  There is no school Thursday and Friday.
• Math morning is scheduled for Friday, December 5th with 8:30-9 in the auditorium and 9-9:30 in the classrooms.  I have been asked to attend an important conference that day so I will not be there…however, this is about the students sharing their math thinking and games they've learned with YOU!  If you are able to attend, we'd love to have you!  

3, 2, 1 things you should know…

3 skills we've worked on this week are: making predictions and testing them with objects that roll and slide in science, adding fabulous words to show dialogue, instead of "said" (such as blurted, yelled, and exclaimed), and we started making a poetry notebook which we'll do each Monday during morning work.  

2 addition strategies we've worked on to add 2 digit numbers using strategies such as landmark numbers (any number that is a 10) and splitting numbers.

1 thing you should know is that we love the website, GoNoodle!

Created with

Week ending 11/14/14

We only had 4 days this week  but we've been busy!

Important information:

• The Heritage Bears look awesome!  We've started sharing a few a day and the students are so interested in the writing and why the bears are dressed as they are!  I do have to apologize though!  I continued to think the bears were due today, being a Friday.  They are NOT!  The paperwork we sent home says they are due Monday, November 17th.  I let the students know and sorry for the confusion!  
• Thank you so much to those of you that donated books to the classroom!  It was very kind of you and I look forward to reading them to the students over the next few weeks and then placing them in the book boxes for them to read as they wish.
• Wednesday, the 26th is a half day with dismissal at 12:00.  There is no school on the 27th or 28th.
• Math morning has been scheduled for Friday, December 5th.
• The home reading response has started.  It is expected that students will complete this one time a week on a computer or iPad.  You can get to it by going to our classroom website, reading response, then reading response form.  You must hit submit for it to go through.  Please decide which night is best for your family to complete it.  The link is below:

      http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~megan_deking/FOV1-00057CFD/?OpenItemURL=S0B6EF4F9

3, 2, 1 things you should know…
3 skills we worked on this week were: identifying multi syllable words,  finding nonfiction text features in multiple books and explaining their purpose in that book, and deciding if objects roll or slide.

2 new math addition strategies such as adding tens and splitting numbers (just began today and will continue this year as well as learning about landmark numbers).

1 website you need to visit is Padlet!  Each week we will have a "What did I learn this week?" page.  Students will brainstorm a list of skills or activities we worked on this week and then they will type what they think is most important to share. For this week, I will type for them so they can see how the page works but in the coming weeks, they will do the typing and deciding which information to share.
You can visit Padlet either through my own website or here below:

Created with Padlet

Reading Response Online

Reading Response Online

We are starting our reading response online tonight.  It is expected that students will complete this one time a week on a computer or iPad.  You can get to it by going to our classroom website, reading response, then reading response form.  You must hit submit for it to go through.  The link is below:

http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~megan_deking/FOV1-00057CFD/?OpenItemURL=S0B6EF4F9

Here's a few things to keep in mind:

•  Let you child do as much as they can on their own.  I am not looking for spelling so much as the thinking.  
• If you child is struggling typing, you could help them finish up.  They will get faster as the year goes on.  
• Some weeks they will respond using a book they are reading at home.
• This week, we are working on non-fiction.  They received a Time for Kids article about giraffes they can read and use to write their responses.  
• This week, they need to name a non-fiction feature and write how it helps them to understand THEIR story.  
• Features include: photographs, captions, labels, illustrations, maps, titles, diagrams, glossary, index, and table of contents.  
• An example is:  The label points to the crater on the moon.  Another example would be: The caption helps me understand the order of the planets.  

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!  Think ahead of time which day would be best for your child to complete this so it isn't done last minute.  It must be completed by Friday of each week.  It may take a few weeks to get used to it, but I know they all can do it!  

Week ending 11/7/13

This November has started off well!  We've started some new units and all the students seem to be really enjoying them!  

Important information: 

• Monday is our day to shop the book fair.  We will be shopping 2:15-2:45.  Today, Friday, we are going to preview the books and made a wish list for those we are interested in.  Students will bring home the lists and you can decide together which, if any, books you'd like your child to buy and then send in the correct money.  Keep in mind there is tax on items.  If you choose to send in money, please do so in a zip loc bag with their name on it.  If you would like to join us at the book fair, you may come in Monday, sign in at the office and meet us in the library at 2:15. 
• Tuesday, November 11, there is no school.  
• Over the next week, your child will have an extra homework project centered on heritage and culture.  This ties in with our Social Studies curriculum.  Information and bears (chosen by the students) were sent home in backpacks today.  Please be as creative as you'd like and send back whenever it's complete, but not later than November 17th.  
• For the next 2 week, we are working on a special math unit titled, Measuring for the Art Show.  It is focused on number facts, strategies for counting, and a math congress of sharing and respecting ideas.  There may not be regular math homework and if not, please practice either number facts or Xtramath.  
• We are starting the at home reading response.  Students have practiced in school and they are READY!  I'm so excited for them and they are looking forward to it.  The reading response is based on a skill we are working on during the week in the classroom.  It is completed 1x a week on the computer (or iPad) and may take students awhile until they become more comfortable with typing.  If it is very difficult, you may type for them as they tell you their thoughts.  The link and all the information can be found here on my website...

          http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~megan_deking/FOV1-00057CFD/

3, 2, 1 ideas you should know about our week:

3 skills we've worked on are: naming, identifying, and learning about non-fiction features of books (such as labels, captions, and photographs), discussing our measuring strategies of large size paper and how we counted our cubes (students a variety of ideas and we needed to sort out which ideas worked and why they worked), and we started finishing up our United States unit by talking about the U.S. Constitution.  

2 events this week were honoring veterans at our ceremony Tuesday am and previewing the book fair. 

1 thing you should know is that by practicing adding 10 to 1 digit numbers will help us become faster mathematicians.  -Eli

Week ending 10/31/14

Hi Families!
Can you believe October is over already?  I'm amazed that 2 months and 42 days have gone by already!  I'm also amazed how much we've learned and applied in those 42 days!

Important information:
*Thanks to everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to come in with your child to meet about their progress.   
*Thanks to everyone who was able to help with the pumpkin activity!  It's not a hard job but the more hands to help, the easier it is for the kids.  
*Thank you to those the brought in tissues and a new pencil sharpener this week!  Both were badly needed and I appreciate your donations.
*This week I sent home a sheet with a passcode for Xtramath.  Please start practicing your facts this way at least 2 times a week.  The more they practice the more automatic the facts are.  If the computer or iPad isn't for your child, please begin using flash cards.
*Tuesday, November 11, there is no school for Veteran's Day.  
*Looking ahead, there is an early dismissal on November 26, a Wednesday at 12:00 (not 12:30) and no school the 27th or 28th.  

3, 2, 1 things you should know…

3 skills we worked on this week were: telling details about the problem and solution of a read aloud and our own just right book, how to make change when paying at a vegetable stand, and how to make, read, and interpret a tally chart, pictograph, and bar graph.

2 skills we looked at in social studies were landforms and landmarks of the United States.  Ask your child to tell you about 1 landmark and 1 landform we discussed in class.

1 very important thing we think you should know is we had fun decorating the pumpkins and the door. -Arianna

Enjoy the weekend and happy trick or treating!

Here is a picture of our classroom door with our haunted houses & scary jack-o-lanterns and a picture of all of use with our decorated pumpkins!

    

Week ending 10/24/14

We've had a great week!  We've worked on many new concepts, built on those we've already started, and practiced those we've learned before to be sure we've mastered them.

Important Information

• Conferences begin Monday, the 27th and end Friday, the 31st. for our class.
• Please be sure to bring your child with you.  They have work they are very excited to share with you! 
• Thursday, the 30th, is an early dismissal for conferences.  Please have your child picked up by 12:30.  
• Thank you to all who bought books this past time through Scholastic!  It was wonderful see all those bonus points!  I was able to use many of the bonus points and still have some left! I purchased some early Amelia Bedelia books, a Fly Guy book, and some early chapter books.    I'll send home information again for another order soon.

3, 2, 1 for this week…

3 skills we worked on this week were making text to world connections to help us understand how our story relates to the real world in reading workshop.  In writing workshop, we focused on making our sentences more powerful by adding in adjectives throughout.  In social studies, we learned where we live in the world from our galaxy all the way to our own house.

2 skills we practiced in math were regrouping tens and ones and we learned math games to further our understanding.  We also practiced counting coins to buy things.

1 thing you need to know is…we're making our stories better and better so we can have a more detailed story to share with you at conferences!    -Jordyn

Have a great weekend!

Week ending 10/17

We're halfway through the month of October and the weather is not feeling very Fall like!  One day is warm and the next is chilly and rainy!  Hopefully the rest of October  will show us the cooler weather and we'll be able to enjoy pumpkins, sweaters, and hot chocolate soon!

Important information:

• If you haven't signed up for conferences yet, please do so.  

Here is the link as well: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-fall

• Please keep in mind that if the weather begins to get colder…please send in sweatshirts, jackets, etc. as we try to make it out for snack recess and they go out for lunch recess.
• Homework has started and has been going very well!  They have all turned in their homework and it looks great!  Please keep in mind that if your child has trouble with the homework, you can help them, but please add a note at the top or circle where they had difficulty so I know to go over those skills with them.  

3, 2, 1…things we want to share with you:

3 skills we've worked on this week: In reading, we worked on comparing texts (Amazing Grace and William's Doll) to understand the text and characters better.  In writing, we worked on self-assessing ourselves using the checklist to see what our story needs more of and how to make it more interesting to the reader.  In math, we've been working on understanding, reading, and writing place value focusing on tens and ones to start. 

2 read aloud books shared this week were One Green Apple to discuss text to world connections and Weekend with Wendell to discuss making meaningful connections.  Meaningful connections are those that help us make predictions, understand how the character feels, or helps us understand why the character did the actions they did.  

1 thing we want you to know is: Math was fun because we like to solve problems. (Daniel H.)

Week Ending 10/10/14

Thank you to those that could make it to Social Emotional Morning today.  I hope it gave you a little insight into our morning meeting and how our day starts.  I know it can be difficult to attends events and I want you to know that there will be other events throughout the year that you'll be invited to as well.
Important Information:

• There is no school on Monday, October 13.
• Conference sign ups have started (as in the email I sent this morning) and the link is in that email to sign up.  Please remember this is a short conference with you and your child to share their work.  They feel very proud of themselves with what they have accomplished and we will look at what's to come.  
• The link for sign ups is http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-fall
• October 30 is an early release day, with dismissal at 12:30.

Homework Information:

This week, we practiced working in a quiet spot to complete math and phonics worksheets.  Please work with your child to identify a quiet place in your home where he or she should work on homework and plan a time for completing homework that will work with their at-home schedule.  

At-home homework expectations will begin next week on Tuesday, October 14.  

(Complete homework expectations for the year are in my classroom website.)

Pointers for kids:

• Complete two worksheets (typically math and phonics).  Write you name and date on both sheets.
• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Work carefully.
• If it's too hard, ask for help.

Pointers for families:

• Help as needed (putting a star or little note at the top lets me know help was needed).
• Use homework as an opportunity to engage in discussions about your child's learning.
• The week of the 14th, students will have one math and one phonics sheet.  
• You are encouraged to read with your child and ask questions about the text.  (More about reading expectations will follow later).

3, 2, 1 skills we worked on this week…

In reading workshop we worked on schema.  In math worked on name collection boxes, ways to show different numbers, and "What's my rule?".  During social studies, we've been working on locating the continents are, cardinal directions, and the oceans.

2 things to ask your child…

What schema is and how it helps you understand the text?

What is name collection boxes and how can you show 10 four ways?

1 fact we learned this week…

A long long time ago the lands were not apart from the oceans, they were all connected. -From Renee

Week ending 10/3/14

I can't believe it's October already!  September went by so quickly!  I hope you're enjoying the fall time with your families.
Some important information:

• I sent home the Scholastic flyers yesterday and the information for ordering.  It's a great way to get books for your child or gifts for others.  I also use the bonus points gained through parent orders to add to the classroom library for your children to read.  If you are going to order, please do so by Friday, October 10. Thanks!
• Next Thursday, October 9, is an early release day with dismissal at 12:30.
• Next Friday, October 10, is our Social-Emotional morning.  You will meet with staff from our school first in the auditorium and then join us in the classroom for morning meeting.  It's 8:30-9:30.  

3, 2, 1 things to know…

3 things we began studying and reviewing this week were: fact families focusing on always having 2 addition and 2 subtraction number sentences and the largest number goes at the end of a subtraction sentence; there are oceans and continents in our world and continents are larger than countries; and text to text connections help us understand the texts better.

2 skills we're working on in writing workshop are showing and not just telling the reader about our small moment story and writing goals for our narrative writing helps us be focused on the things we need to do to be strong writers.

1 thing that's awesome about our class is that we earned pajama day!  The students have been working really hard to learn routines, expectations, and begin working together.  Earning the baseballs for compliments for working together, trying their best, and doing above what is expected is awesome!

Have a great weekend!

Coming up...

I just wanted to touch base about a few things coming up:

* Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1, is picture day.  

* Friday, the 3rd, is the day for flu shots if you've signed up.

* Friday is also pajama day in our room!  We have earned pajama day by earning 9 baseballs.  The class earns baseballs for having exceptional behavior or receiving compliments from other staff in the building.  I do not typically give them a baseball as they do not get them for doing what is expected.  They have earned them for compliments for walking quietly in line, for working together, and helping each other.  Your child may wear their pajamas (watch the weather) and bring a small stuffed animal.  They can also wear "comfy" clothes if they like (yoga type pants, sweatshirts, sweat pants, etc) or their regular clothes.  I'm very proud of them for earning this early in the year!

* I will be sending home a Scholastic flyer and information for ordering if you'd like to.  I'll send it home Friday.

* Next Thursday, October 9, is an early release day with dismissal at 12:30.

* Next Friday, October 10, is our Social-Emotional morning.  You will meet with staff from our school first in the auditorium and then join us for morning meeting.  It's 8:30-9:30.  

Week ending 9/26/14

Definitely felt like Fall today!  Have you been apple picking yet?  We went last weekend and it was so great!  I hope everyone had a nice day off from school and wonderful day of family and friends if you're celebrating.  We've really been getting the routines in place, especially in reading and writing workshop.  Students know what to expect and are working really hard!
Important information:

• If there is a dismissal change, please let me know.  Students who usually take the bus and aren't  or those who usually go to extended but don't, may not remember what they are doing and I don't want to put them on a bus if there's no one to get them or keep them when you're waiting for them.  Also, if you're taking a child from another class, be sure that the other teachers know where that student is going.  If not, we may be calling you.  Thanks for your cooperation!
• Picture Day is Wednesday, October 1st.
• Flu Clinic is Friday, October 3rd.

3, 2, 1 things from room 250…

3 skills we practiced this week: We practiced our number combinations with addition and subtraction by playing various games and activities during math time.  We've worked on making clear, descriptive, and specific observations during science and set up our science notebooks with a cover, table of contents, and writing with sketches.  During writing, we continue to work on telling a story across 5 pages and have started rereading our work to be sure it sounds right, looks right, and makes sense.

2 things to ask your child:  What does I PICK mean when choosing books?  This is something (along with the 5 Finger Rule) that we will work on all year as we choose just right books.  I PICK stands for: I can choose just right books based on Purpose, Interest, Comprehension, and Knowing the words.  Also, ask your child which books they've been reading during reading workshop.  

1 thing coming up: Next week, we will start our social studies unit on the United States, map skills, and a focus on where we are in the world.

Have a great weekend!

Megan

Week ending 9/19/14

Hi Families,
I hope you've been able to get out and enjoy the fall weather!  It's beautiful!  I'm glad many of you could come in for Open House.  I hope you found the evening informational and helpful.

A few things to remember:
* All the Open House items that would have been passed out are now on my website under "Open House".  Please take a look when you can.
* Thursday, there is no school.  Enjoy the day with your families.
* A reminder about dismissal…please send a note in the morning or tell me the day before if your child will have a change in how they go home.  It's really important, for all the students' safety, that I know where they are going after school.  Sometimes a parent will want to take a friend, yet there's been a miscommunication, and the parent shows up to get the child.  It can make everyone worried until it's worked out.  We don't want that to happen.  Any child going home with someone different (unless you've told me otherwise), will need a note or I'll be calling you.  Thank you so much for your help with this.
* Picture day is October 1st so be sure to sign up online or send in the form.  Thanks!
* I've been having a glitch somewhere on my blog so it's not posting correctly.  The most current one may post but then one from January as well.  I'm working with the IT person to fix this!

I'm going to try something different with my blog posts…it's a 3, 2, 1 format.  Hope you like it!

3 skills we worked on this week: We worked on reading a thermometer and telling the temperature.  We practiced making connections to the read aloud story, Sheila Rae the Brave by Kevin Henkes.  We started working on our small moments narrative writing and we're focusing on telling the story across 5 fingers to be sure we have enough but also talking about the details that are really important.

2 questions to ask you child: What are some words you can use to describe (any object you choose) if you were observing it?  What is our morning meeting greeting we've been doing lately?  (Hint: What's the news?)

1 thing to try at home this week: The penny plate game we learned in math is a great way to work on addition skills!  Hide 10-15 pennies (be sure to tell your child how many) under the plate.  Have your child turn around and then put some pennies on top of the plate.  Now, ask your child to say how many are on the plate and how many are hiding.  Now your child hides pennies for you.  It's a great activity for addition and subtraction skills and number sense.

Enjoy the weekend!
Megan

Just testing again!

Open House Schedule

Below is our schedule foe Open House this year:

6:00-6:25          PTO meet and greet- Gymnasium

6:30 to 6:55 PM:  Principal and PTO Welcome- Auditorium 

7:05 to 7:35 PM:  Grades 1: in the first grade classrooms

                     Grade 2: in ART room - then back to our classroom for a few minutes

                     Kindergarten: in Auditorium

7:05 to 7:35 PM:  Grades 3-5 families meet with Special Area teachers

• In Library       Art, Library, Music, P.E.H.W
• Room 210         Special Education Teacher, Speech & Language Therapist, Psychologist, Social Worker and Inclusion Facilitators
• Room 216         Curriculum Resource Center- Literacy Coach and Math Coach

7:40 to 8:10 PM:  Grades 3: in the third grade classrooms

                      Gr. 4: in Room 203

                      Gr. 5 in Auditorium

7:40 to 8:10 PM: Grades K-2 Special Area teachers in library

• In Library       Art, Library, Music, P.E.H.W
• Room 210         Special Education Teacher, Speech & Language Therapist, Psychologist, Social Worker and Inclusion Facilitators
• Room 216         Curriculum Resource Center- Literacy Coach and Math Coach  

Questions to ask your child….

If your house is like ours, asking your child "What did you learn today?", may get you a "Nothing" or an "I don't remember."  I can tell you that we really did work and learn all day!  Asking questions about their day is a great way to learn how their day went and what they're learning.
Here's some questions to help get you started from Creativefamilyfun.net and other ideas …

• Who did you sit by at lunch?
• Who did you play with at recess?
• What did you do in your special?
• What math skill did you practice today?
• What activities did you do in morning meeting?
• Did you have science or social studies today?  If yes, what did you do?
• Did anything surprise you today? 
• Tell me something nice that you did for someone today.
• Did someone do something nice for you today?
• What did you write about today?
• What book did your teacher read to you today?  What do you like about that book?
• What book did YOU read (or listen to) today?
• Did anything make you sad today?

Week ending 9/12/14

Hello families!  We've had a great first week!  We continue to take time to get to know each other, learn classroom routines and expectations, and start working on our academic skills.
Important information you need to know:

• Open House for parents is on Tuesday starting at 6:00 with meeting with the PTO followed by our principal and vice principal, then meet with classroom teachers in K-2 (GRADE 2 will be in the music room near the auditorium to start, then we will come back to our room for a few minutes to do an activity for your child), followed by 3-5.  I have added the important documents typically given out to my website, under the Open House tab.  Also added there is 2nd grade classroom policies and common language informationPlease see them there as they will not go home.  
• Our specials each week are: 
• Monday is library - bring your books back
• Tuesday is PE - remember your sneakers
• Wednesday is PE and music - remember your sneakers
• Friday is art - wear clothes that can become artsy
• If you haven't added yourself to my blog updates, please do on the blog page under "Follow me by email".  Thanks!

What's been happening in room 250?

We've worked a lot this week on coming together as a community.  We've written our hopes and dreams for the school year and they've been placed on the bulletin board so we can see them all year.   The class brainstormed classroom rules and each one of us signed them to be recognize we all agree to try our best to follow them.  I've also introduced our "rest stop" area.  This is a calming station in our room where students may go if I ask them to sit there after repeated redirection or they may choose to go when they're feeling sad, tired, frustrated, or upset.  Ask you child what they can do in rest stop and strategies for getting themselves ready to get back on task.

In literacy, we've started talking about why we choose different books (by genre, author, topic, etc.), the places we love to read, types/genres of books, and expectations of reading workshop.  We've also been building our reading stamina by reading to ourselves and charting the number of minutes we are a all reading.  The most we've read is 35 minutes!  We've talked about how reading is reading the words and "reading" the pictures.  This helps the students feel successful no matter where they are in their reading journey.  Next week, we'll talk more about how to choose a book that's just right for them.  

In math, we've worked on number scrolls, math boxes, coins, dollars, and telling time.  Much of unit 1 is practice to be sure we're all ready to continue on after the summer.  Next week, we'll be working in groups and with partners to practice our money  and addition skills and review temperature.

During writing workshop, we've been writing about our summers and next week we'll start talking about tiny seed stories to start our narrative writing unit.

Hope to see you all at Open House!  Enjoy the weekend!

:)

Week of 9/5/14

Hello families!

Can you believe the first week of school is over already!  It's gone by so fast!

Important information:

* Thank you for your help at dismissal.  I've been giving the kids a high five before they can leave so they have to tell me that you are there.  Doing that helps me learn your faces and assures the children are leaving with an adult.  

* If there are any changes at all to dismissal, please send in a note and have your child place it in the red box, "Notes for Ms. DeKing".  Emails can work as well if you know in advance, but sometimes the day of can be hard if I can't check the email or there is a connection issue.  Thank you for your help with this.  

* Open House is Tuesday, September 16th.  The schedule is: 6-6:30 PTO open house for families in gym, 6:30-6:55 Principal, Assistant Principal, and PTO welcome, 7:05-7:35 meet with K-2 in classrooms (3-5 families meet in library with special area teachers), and 7:40-8:10 3-5 classrooms (K-2 meet in library with special area teachers).  I hope you can join us!

* Thursday, September 25, there is no school.  

What's happening in room 250?

I think we are off to a great start!  We've been learning each other's names, the classroom routines, the schedule, getting morning work and morning meeting underway, and meeting new staff and friends.  It can take a few weeks for the routines to be solid in place and for things to run smoothly and faster.  Right now, as we learn new expectations, where items are in the classroom, how to use different materials, and adjust to a new year...things can take awhile to get done.  Once the routines and expectations are in place, things just fall into place and we all know what to expect and we accomplish ALOT!  

This week, we started talking about coins and the calendar.  We wrote about our week in 2nd grade, listened to many read alouds, worked on  portraits, and wrote our hopes and dreams.  Next week, we'll begin Fundations (phonics review), review clocks in math, and write our classroom rules.  We write our rules based on our hopes and dreams for the school year.  In order to meet our hopes for the year, which rules are most important for us to have?  We work together to create rules that are appropriate and easy to understand.  

During the month of September, we will be reviewing math topics learned in first grade, assessing reading to be sure they are in a guided reading group that is appropriate for their strengths and needs, and assessing their writing skills.  The assessing now, will help me understand where the students are in their learning and guide my instruction.  

Thank you for helping your children feel positive and excited about school!  I can see their excitement and it's wonderful!

If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to  let me know!

Mrs. DeKing

Jitter Glitter

Are you ready for Tuesday?  Don't forget to put the "Jitter Glitter" you received under your pillow!
Can't wait to see you all Tuesday morning in room 250!

Welcome to 2nd Grade in Room 250!

Hello Families!
I'm so excited to start school with you in just a few days!  I hope you had a great summer!  What was your favorite part?  I loved going camping and spending time on the Cape.  Are you excited to start school?  I know I am!  I have to tell you I'm a little nervous too!  You might be too but it'll be a great day!  We'll get to know each other, learn the names of our new friends, take a tour of the school, play some games, and  have snack.  We'll also have a special before we end the day together.  When you come to school…bring your curiosity, imagination, and willingness to learn (don't forget a small snack too :)).
Looking forward to Tuesday!
Mrs. DeKing

Final update for the year!

Hello Families!
I can't believe the school year is so close to being done!  We only have 5 days left after today!
Our last day of school is next Friday, the 20th, with a 12:00 dismissal.
It's been a busy week finishing up our unit on Ghana, practicing our math skills and challenging ourselves with math circle sums, writing poetry about our year and the summer, and having a closing circle each day to leave on a positive note.  We also finished sharing our projects!  They were fabulous and we learned so much!  A huge thank you so much to those that were able  to make it this past Wednesday to our celebration!  The students were so thrilled to share their work with you and share what they're proud of and their strengths. Don't forget…in the bag is the end of the year trick word test and math test.  Please look at these and use them to help your child get even more prepared for next year.
Don't forget to check out "What did we learn this week?" to see our favorite memory of 2nd grade!
As the year comes to a close next week, I want to thank all of you for your support and commitment to your child, me, and the whole class.  I feel very lucky to have had a wonderful group of students this year and I'm amazed at how far they've all come in their own ways!
I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and happy summer and I look forward to seeing them in the hallways next year!
Thank you again!
Megan DeKing

Weekly Update 6/6/14

It's June!  I'm sure your child is very excited!  I know I am!  Did you get a chance to go to Springfest?  I took my daughter and she had a great time!  It's nice to see our families outside of school time.  I love this time of year…it's great to be finishing up units, work on some other activities that allow us to have some more fun and socially interact more, see their progress since the beginning of the year, and get outside with the better weather!
Here's some important dates to keep in mind…
* If your child hasn't brought in their projects yet, please do so on Monday so we have time to share!
* Wednesday is our parent celebration at 2:00.  We hope you can make it!  If you can't, don't worry, I'll still be sending all their work home that day.
* Tuesday, the 17, is Color Day!  It's a great day for fun, good sportsmanship, and lots of laughs!  I'll be sending home more info next week regarding t-shirt color.
* The last day is Friday, June 20.  Dismissal is at 12:00!

This week, we've been finishing up a lot of activities and started a few new ones!  In reading, we continue to work on poetry and noticing poetry features.  I've also completed the end of year assessments and they all improved so much!  We will keep working on poetry and also focus on some end of the year and summer books.  In writing workshop, we've been writing poetry such as list poems, place poems, haiku, cinquain, and a poem when two voices read.  It's been great to see their creativity come out!  We'll continue writing poems as well as start reflecting on the whole year.  We've also been taking a trick word test based on the trick words we've worked on through Fundations this year.  The test will go home in their bags on Wednesday.  Please look for it and practice any words missed over the summer so they are more prepared for next year.  In math, we've been reviewing all our units we've covered, including clocks, telling time, interpreting graphs, adding and subtracting, and problem solving.  We also took the unit 12 test and the end of the year test.  This will also go home and can give you an idea of somethings to practice this summer so your child doesn't lose anything learned.  In science, we let our butterflies go last week and it was awesome to see them fly away!  We now have a Cabbage White butterfly and hopefully will have one more soon.  We've made charts and diagrams of the butterfly and plant life cycle.  In social studies, we started working on Ghana by focusing on it's location and the parts of the flag.  We also had a great time before library!  We Skyped with our pen pals in New York!  It was a bit fuzzy and all but the kids loved it nonetheless!

I hope everyone has a nice weekend!
Megan

Weekly Update 5/23/14

I can't believe there's only 20 days left of school!  Oh my!  As we think about the last few days of school, there are many things going on…we'll have Color Day, presentations for parents, last day of school, our Museum of Science field trip, and so much more!
Things to remember:
* Going home today is information about special homework project coming up starting next week.  Please be sure to read it carefully and allow your child to guide the process and complete the work on their own as much as they can.  They love showing their work that they've accomplished!  Thank you! Look for the info in your child's folder!
* There is no school on Monday, May 26th.
* Don't forget about the silent auction!  It's all set up by the front door.  I'm offering pancake breakfast with a friend one morning.  Go bid and raise money for the school!
* Monday, June 2, is our field trip to the Museum of Science.  More info will go home next week but just wanted to remind you that students will need a packed bag lunch as there's no fridge and difficult to carry lunch boxes around.  Also, send food that's easy to open and easy to eat as we have a quick lunch so we can get back to the museum exhibits.
* Wednesday, June 11th, at 2:00 is our end of year parent presentations for you!
* Tuesday, June 17th, is Color Day (more info going home soon about that).
* Please send in 2 brown paper bags to carry artwork and classwork home.  Your child has a notice about it.
* Friday, June 20, is our last day of school.  Please keep me updated if your child will not be here as I have things that need to go home. Thanks!
* If you have any tissues, please send them in!  Even though cold season seems to be over, allergy season has begun!

A few thoughts about the end of year…

What's happening in room 235?
In literacy, we continue to focus on poetry.  We've read many poems with rhythm, poems with a beat, onomatopoeia, poems with sound, poems with connections to us, poems with verbs and nouns, and describing words.  We wrote the poem below for you using nouns and adjectives.  We hope you enjoy it!  In writing workshop, we've been working on writing poems, making poetry observations, describing the difference between scientific and poetic observations, and we turned our science observations from Kayla's Garden, into a poem to share with our friends. Ask you child to share some words they chose to use for their observation poem.

In math, we worked on subtracting larger amounts of money and started talking about arrays and chickens and eggs.  We also started unit 12, which is a review of all we've learned this year! Ask you child what chickens and eggs have to do with math!

In science, we've been observing the chrysalis that we have for the Painted Ladies butterflies, the caterpillars we have for the Cabbage White butterflies, and talking about whether a chrysalis is alive or not and what a habitat is.  Next week, hopefully we'll have some butterflies to observe!

I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend!  Enjoy the weather and time with your families!  When we return we'll only have 19 days left!  Where did the time go???

Weekly Update 5/16/14

It's been a beautiful week overall!  I love this weather and I hope you do too!
It's been busy in room 235 this week as well.
Important information:
* It is so important that students are very fluent in their addition and subtraction facts as they move on next year.  If they don't do Xtra Math, that's total fine.
* With the nice weather…please be sure your child has sandals that are appropriate for the playground and remember sneakers on PE days.  Please try and leave flip flops at home.  Thanks!
* Monday, 26, there is no school for Memorial Day.
* Tentatively our end of year celebration is set for Wednesday June 11th at 2:00.  We will send you an invitation once the date is official.
* June 17th will be Color Day with a rain date on the 18th.
* The last day for students is June 20th with a dismissal at 12:00.  If your child will not be here the last day of school, please let me know as I have things to go home with them.

What's happening in room 235?
In literacy, we've been working on poetry.  The students love it!  We have worked on noticing elements  of poetry such as rhythm, alliteration, line breaks, recognizing some poems rhyme and some don't, some are long and some are short, and what descriptive words the author uses to pull us in.  We even wrote our own alliteration poem (which is at the bottom of this blog for you to read)…they giggled away and loved working as a whole class to write it!  In writing, we've been writing opinion pieces on our favorite places and favorite day.
* Ask your child what their favorite place is?
* Ask your child what they know about poetry so far in our unit?

In math, we've been working on subtracting and having the students understand the way subtraction and addition  work together.  We've also been working the very basic concepts of multiplication.  We've been focusing on groups of items and how many in each group.  We may have 4 cups, each cup has 2 buttons.  How many altogether?  4 groups with 2 in each group.  Our answers look like this: 2+2+2+2=8 button and 4x2=8 buttons.  Recognizing that understanding how multiplication works, groups and how many in each group, will help them later in 3rd grade.
* Ask you child some addition or subtraction word problems.

In science, we are growing brassica plants, have added butterfly eggs to the plants, have caterpillars eating food and we will be watching their transformation to butterflies as the next few weeks go on, we've been observing and measuring our plants, observed the inside of a lima bean, and we started working on plant structure.
* Ask your child what living things need to live.